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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (9/22 – 9/29)

This week, the Fall 2013 TV season kicked into high gear with a full slate of season and series premieres. Monday’s Castle premiere gave us a beautiful resolution to last season’s cliffhangers while leaving us with a brand-new cliffhanger to keep us on the edge of our seats for the rest of the week. Tuesday was the big day for any and all Marvel fans, as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. debuted with the plot twists, quick dialogue, and deep questions we’ve come to expect from anything helmed by Joss Whedon. A fun and funny New Girlepisode also highlighted Tuesday night’s TV lineup, proving that Season Three is already off to a great start. The Nashville season premiere on Wednesday officially reignited my love for that show, and my love for Parks and Recreationonly got stronger with Thursday’s big one-hour premiere. In addition, The Michael J. Fox Show also added some heartfelt humor to my Thursday night with its charming pilot. Finally, last night’s Saturday Night Live season premiere was a fantastic reminder that everything in life gets better when you add Tina Fey to it.

Choosing the best TV moment of this fantastic week was difficult, but it ultimately came down to two marriage proposals. On Castle, the reaction both Beckett and Castle had to his season-ending proposal was perfectly in-character and wonderfully acted. But—as much as I loved that proposal—I don’t think anything can top the first five minutes of this week’s premiere of Parks and Rec. Not only did it feature a proposal; it featured an entire wedding done in a way that was totally unexpected and yet exactly right for Ron, Diane, and their relationship. Plus, it allowed us to see Leslie become temporarily paralyzed by excitement, create a bouquet of highlighters, and frantically search for rice in City Hall.

This cold open was anything but cold; it was warm, bright, and funny. In short, it was everything that’s right about Parks and Rec condensed into five minutes of nearly perfect television.

3 thoughts on “The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (9/22 – 9/29)”

In a week of solid returning shows and some intriguing new showings hands down the best thing I saw this week was the finale of Broadchurch. After 7hours of riveting television this show offered a final hour that was nothing short of superb. Performances were heartbreaking led by a tour de force showing from Olivia Coleman who has been so fantastic every episode. You have to admire a show that reveals its killer at the 12 minute mark of the episode, giving the viewer a complete portrait of what fallout and consequences come from gaining the truth. The heartbreaking ripple effect of how a single murder impacted an entire community was handled with confidence and terrific honest dialogue. Broadchurch far and away was the best thing I watched this week and is an 8 episode master class on how you create television.